2017 Indian Roadmaster Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2017 Indian Roadmaster, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical654.5%
- Powertrain (other)218.2%
- Driver assistance19.1%
- Engine19.1%
- Fuel system19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
My motorcycle went in a couple of years ago for a check because it would show neutral but be in gear and vice versa. The dealer cleaned the contacts and pins. It was fine for a bit and now at 55K miles it’s back to doing the same thing. It will show neutral and I’m on the highway doing 65 mph. The. Third gear and I’m stopped with the clutch out. The dealer is now saying we have to pay for this to be checked during routine servicing? 1.8 hours at $165.00 and hour? That’s bs. They know the problem are the pins and springs but they, the dealer, won’t change them. Because parts, to me, are $130 then $$300 in labor. They’re making a huge profit of their mistake. I’ve included a photo of the parts for the repair and the inflated prices for them.
The clutch switch has failed open. If the engine stalls while in traffic, the rider is required to shift the transmission into neutral before the engine will restart. This could be a dangerous situation depending on what terrane the bike and rider are on. The normal operation for restart of the engine in a stall situation is to simply pull the clutch lever in and hit the start button. The starter should engage regardless of where the gear selector is as long as the clutch lever is pulled in. When researching this problem on YouTube and the Indian Motorcycle Forum, it is wide spread.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 INDIAN ROADMASTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V776000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AN UNKNOWN DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
LORS DE FORTE PLUIE , LE MOTEUR TOURNE SUR UN SEUL CYLINDRE ET CALE PARFOIS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
I just had my recall replaced 3 TIMES because it was reading neutral in 6th gear and dropping me out of cruise AND NEVER start while in neutral ever
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
POLARIS CASE # 4018942. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2017 AT ABOUT 5:00 ' 5:30PM EST, MY 2017 INDIAN ROADMASTER (THE 'BIKE') RETURNED THREE COMPUTER ERRORS AND FAILED TO START WHILE I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT LOCATED AT 4260 PEACHTREE RD NE IN BROOKHAVEN, GA. THE INFORMATION CENTER ON THE BIKE DIRECTED ME TO 'CONTACT DEALER' (THE 'INCIDENT'). AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE BIKE HAD 837 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED DEALER AS INSTRUCTED, WHO REFERRED ME TO DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT PARTNER ("SERVICE"). SERVICE INSTRUCTED ME THAT THERE WERE KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE ('ECM') AND MAIN WIRING HARNESS ('MAIN HARNESS') DISCONNECT THROUGH VIBRATION, BUT SUCH ISSUES ARE REPAIRED OSTENSIBLY BY A NYLON ZIP-TIE AS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AWAITING MANUFACTURER ACTIONS. THE ECM HAS NO POSITIVE LATCHING COMPONENT ON IT TO SECURE THE MAIN HARNESS TO THE ECM AND THUS MAINTAIN A SOLID CONNECTION. THE MAIN HARNESS VIBRATES LOOSE OVER TIME, IN MY CASE 837 MILES, FROM THE ECM AND THUS KILLS THE BIKE, JUST AS I EXPERIENCED. DEALER REPORTED THAT MY INCIDENT IS ONE OF AT LEAST TWO THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITH THE ECM AND MAIN HARNESS ON A BRAND-NEW CHIEFTAIN AND MY ROADMASTER (DOP 12/2/2016), SINCE ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER, 2016; DEALER HAVING SOLD ABOUT 20 MOTORCYCLES SINCE OCTOBER, 2016. THAT IS A FAILURE RATE OF 10% FROM DEALER ALONE OVER A ROUGHLY 1/3 OF A YEAR. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THE BIKE IS COMPLETELY POWERED OFF WHEN THE MAIN HARNESS DISCONNECTS FROM THE ECM: THE ENGINE DIES, NO TURN SIGNALS FUNCTION, NO EMERGENCY FLASHERS, NO HEADLIGHTS OR TAILLIGHTS. I HAPPENED TO BE IN A PARKING LOT AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, WERE THIS TO HAPPEN AT SPEED ON A FREEWAY, OR ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY ON WHICH THERE IS NO SHOULDER, A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE IN THIS PART OF GEORGIA, SUCH FAILURE COULD HAVE MORE DIRE CONSEQUENCES. IN MY VIEW, LIVES ARE AT RISK.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
POLARIS CASE # 4018942. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2017 AT ABOUT 5:00 ' 5:30PM EST, MY 2017 INDIAN ROADMASTER (THE 'BIKE') RETURNED THREE COMPUTER ERRORS AND FAILED TO START WHILE I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT LOCATED AT 4260 PEACHTREE RD NE IN BROOKHAVEN, GA. THE INFORMATION CENTER ON THE BIKE DIRECTED ME TO 'CONTACT DEALER' (THE 'INCIDENT'). AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE BIKE HAD 837 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED DEALER AS INSTRUCTED, WHO REFERRED ME TO DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT PARTNER ("SERVICE"). SERVICE INSTRUCTED ME THAT THERE WERE KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE ('ECM') AND MAIN WIRING HARNESS ('MAIN HARNESS') DISCONNECT THROUGH VIBRATION, BUT SUCH ISSUES ARE REPAIRED OSTENSIBLY BY A NYLON ZIP-TIE AS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AWAITING MANUFACTURER ACTIONS. THE ECM HAS NO POSITIVE LATCHING COMPONENT ON IT TO SECURE THE MAIN HARNESS TO THE ECM AND THUS MAINTAIN A SOLID CONNECTION. THE MAIN HARNESS VIBRATES LOOSE OVER TIME, IN MY CASE 837 MILES, FROM THE ECM AND THUS KILLS THE BIKE, JUST AS I EXPERIENCED. DEALER REPORTED THAT MY INCIDENT IS ONE OF AT LEAST TWO THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITH THE ECM AND MAIN HARNESS ON A BRAND-NEW CHIEFTAIN AND MY ROADMASTER (DOP 12/2/2016), SINCE ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER, 2016; DEALER HAVING SOLD ABOUT 20 MOTORCYCLES SINCE OCTOBER, 2016. THAT IS A FAILURE RATE OF 10% FROM DEALER ALONE OVER A ROUGHLY 1/3 OF A YEAR. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THE BIKE IS COMPLETELY POWERED OFF WHEN THE MAIN HARNESS DISCONNECTS FROM THE ECM: THE ENGINE DIES, NO TURN SIGNALS FUNCTION, NO EMERGENCY FLASHERS, NO HEADLIGHTS OR TAILLIGHTS. I HAPPENED TO BE IN A PARKING LOT AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, WERE THIS TO HAPPEN AT SPEED ON A FREEWAY, OR ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY ON WHICH THERE IS NO SHOULDER, A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE IN THIS PART OF GEORGIA, SUCH FAILURE COULD HAVE MORE DIRE CONSEQUENCES. IN MY VIEW, LIVES ARE AT RISK.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .